Natalie Lynn Lichtenbert

As you may or may not know, this summer I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the land down under through my Master’s grad coursework through the Project Dragonfly program!   To be honest, I could not believe I was actually going to follow through on this trip while I was thinking of the high cost, the long flight, oh my!   This trip had been a lifelong dream of mine, ever since I had read about Meggie and Ralph and seen the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds.   It was from that moment forward that I had been crazy about this unique continent, both with its genuine, fun people and it’s unique environments and wildlife. I’m a lover of animals.   I’ve been drawing them extensively all my life and quite honestly, I’ve felt more close to animals than most other people.   I have this sense that I can understand their thinking and what they’re feeling, kind of like we are a part of one another.   I will blame all of this on the fact that I’m an only child and many types o

 Well, I hope this gives you some insight into how some of our clothing is made and what the effect is of this product on our lives but also on the life of the planet...I know!  These items just show up in our stores and look cute or comfortable!!  But just like the food we eat, the clothing we wear also goes through a process that can be much healthier for us! Organic Cotton…the Fabric of our Sustainable Lives             When was the last time you took a look at the tag on your shirt that you’re wearing? Is it made of cotton? Most of us barely pay attention to what fabric our clothes are made of unless we’re worried about it shrinking in the dryer.   But in actuality, there is a whole long story behind where your shirt came from.   From the time the cotton seeds are planted, to the harvesting of the cotton heads which are then sold overseas to manufacturers who wind it into thread.   This thread is then sent to clothing manufacturing plants in places l

Hi Guys!  I'm finally finding a free moment to post some of my research from my Spring semester of my Master's AIP program work!  I did a study on cheetah conservation, albeit, not in person!  I did a ton of technical research though in efforts to find the key to maintaining cheetah populations both in the zoo and in the wild.  It is a very complex subject!  Read it if you like and you will learn something about one of our most revered felines!  All material is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced or used without my express permission. Cheetah Major Histocompatibility Complex: The Key to their Future? N. Lichtenbert MT SV (ASCP) CPT (NASM)   Environmentally Fashionable/Globally Healthy _________________________________________________________ Abstract Cheetahs have existed for millions of years, yet today find themselves on the brink of extinction in the wild.   Large ranges, solitude, lack of protection from pred